Hot-melt sewing thread, optical fiber and LEDs bags, luminous and connected harness, electronic circuits printed on clothing… Le Boudoir Numérique explored Smart Creation, Première Vision’s new space, where fashion tech and sustainable fashion work now hand in hand. 

By Ludmilla Intravaia

"Today, you cannot design a garment without thinking about eco-responsibility and to do that, one need technology." It is in these terms that Pascaline Wilhelm, fashion director of Première Vision, summarized at the Boudoir Numérique, last Tuesday, in Villepinte, the philosophy behind the fusion of the fashion tech space of the trade show with the one dedicated to sustainable fashion, in a common exhibition space, Smart Creation (read the entire interview with Pascaline Wilhelm soon on Le Boudoir Numérique).

"The idea is to bring about interactions between eco-responsible innovation and technological innovation, in this new semi-annual rendez-vous, where fashion tech will be able to support sustainable fashion", underlines Igor Robinet-Slansky, press officer of Première Vision. "Innovations can serve several missions at the same time, including eco-responsibility," he added, giving several examples amongs exhibitors, in an interview with Le Boudoir Numérique two weeks ago (read here). Discover the new Smart Creation space in the February 2020 edition of Première Vision trade show, in pictures, below.

Among French exhibitors, the product innovation bureau De Rigueur presented several accessories, including the Infini-T solar-recharged backpack, fruit of its collaboration with the ready-to-wear brand Lacoste, Last year (see below).

De Rigueur also unveiled to visitors various prototypes of accessories illustrating the functional possibilities of electronic components, serving the collections of fashion brands. Below, a luminous bag, “fruit of the integration into textile of an optical fiber of 250 microns thick, woven with textile thread, one strand in four”, explained to Le Boudoir Numérique Adrien Deslous-Paoli on his startup’s corner. The founder of De Rigueur continues : "The fabric thus obtained is subjected to an abrasion process, so that the optical fiber can diffuse its light, like a constellation of bright dots, through the fabric."

Below, luminous glove on the same principle.

Below, sports bag with LEDs and optical fibers (find out more about De Rigueur, in this Boudoir Numérique interview with its artistic director Cyril Bertrand, here).

The Belgian company Resortecs designs a hot-melt sewing thread which dissolves at high temperature (see below).

Below, Cédric Vanhoeck, founder of Resortecs shows to Première Vision visitors how his thread melts, under the action of a heat gun, allowing the disassembly of the different parts of a garment for better recycling of materials.

On February 11, Resortecs received an award from the Flemish Textirama foundation which helps to finance innovative projects in the textile sector (find out more about Resortecs, in this Boudoir Numérique interview with its technology manager William Allouche, here).

The French ribbon company Satab develops connected ribbons and supports creators in their smart textile projects. Thanks to its latest innovation e-NF (e-Narrow Fabrics) presented at Première Vision, Satab Fashion has collaborated with the French startup Weelight for its connected luminous harness, intended to make cyclists and other vulnerable road users more visible to motorists. 

In addition to the "Mutations" exhibition, on the theme of biomimicry, Smart Creation explored the world of innovative materials, little or not used in textile manufacturing, in its material library, MateriO.

Below, conductive electronic circuit printed on fabric, using a transfer screen printing process from the British company Conductive Transfers.

Below, the patented technology of the French furniture research and creation workshop Arca allows to inflate or to suck this wood veneer, chiseled, then glued onto a caoutchouc  membrane.

* Websites from brands and startups mentioned in this Boudoir Numérique paper : De Rigueur, Resortecs, Textirama Foundation, Satab, Weelight, Conductive Transfers, Arca. 

* To celebrate the 45 years of Première Vision's existence, the book “Mode, matières et révolutions” (Fashion, materials and revolutions) by Lydia Bacrie and Charlotte Brunel was published by La Martinière on December 5 (240 pages, 49 euros). The book retraces the history of Première Vision, following fashion trends, the last two chapters focusing on ecological necessity and connected clothing.

* Première Vision Paris took place from February 11 to 13, 2020, at Parc des Expositions in Villepinte. Première Vision website is here. Smart Creation page is there.

* Continue reading about Première Vision with these Boudoir Numérique papers : 

- “An innovative solution for responsible fashion”

- “Our smart mannequin reduces textile waste”

- “Wearable lab 3 : what’s new ?”

- “Fashion tech and sustainability have to go together”

- “Biodegradable 3D printing fashion accessories will multiply”

- “I want to build compostable fast fashion clothes”